Car-vestibule diaphragm.



E. E. WHITMORE.

GAR VESTIBULE DIAPHRAGM.

APPLICATION IILBI) JAN. 9, 1914.

Patented May 5, 191% 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Jzoazfir Mac/d ICUiaZmO 117 COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH C0.,wAS!|lNaTON. D. C.

E. WHITMORE. GAR VESTIBULE DIAPHRAGM.

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1,095,761. Patented May 5, 1914.

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- EDWARD"E. VVHITIVIORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CURTAIN SUPPLY COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ACOR-POB-ATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GAB-VESTIBULE DIAPHRAGM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

raeemeaivra a, 1911.

Application filed January 9, 1914. Serial No. 811,126.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, EDWARD E. WHIT- MORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-vestibule Diaphragms, of which the following is a specification.

In many styles of railway cars it is customary to use collapsible accordion plaited diaphragms and it is often desirable and even necessary to tilt the outer face plate to which the diaphragm is attached in order to obtain access to the buffing mechanism of the car for purposes of repair, adjustment or replacement. Considerable difliculty has been experienced in thus tilting the face plate on account of the fact-that when this operation is performed the plaits of the diaphragm are liable to become torn by being expanded beyond their capacity. In view of these conditions it has been proposed to separably connect either adjacent plaits of the diaphragm legs in their lower portion with each other, or to connect in a similar manner diaphragm legs with the outer diaphragm plate or car face plate, the connecting means being in some cases manually releasable, and in other cases and more advantageously automatically releasable, as exemplified for instance in Patents Nos. 1,056,407 and 1,078,781 heretoforegranted to me.

It is of great importance that the separable connect-ions be automatically releasable as in this way it becomes impossible for the diaphragm to becometorn or otherwise injured through the negligence or f0rgetfulness of the workman. It is also important that the release of the securing means shall be efiected only as occasion may require and not accidentally by shocks, jars and relative movements of the parts incident to train operation. Y

The object of the invention is-therefore primarily to provide a separable connection of the parts whereby to permit the tilting of the face plate, such connection being subject to release thereof when such plate is actually tilted.

In order that the invention and its operation may be readily understood a preferred embodiment of the same is set forth in the accompanying drawing and in the descript on based thereon. As, however, the invent1on is susceptible of embodiment in other and varied constructional forms the drawing and description are to be construed; in an. illustrative and not in an unnecessarily limiting sense.

In the drawing Figure l is'a side elevation of the car diaphragm equipped with the invention; Fig; 2 is a vertical transverse section through the diaphragm on the line 22 of Fig.1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view partly in section showing in front elevation the separable connection between the parts; F i 4: is a similar view showing the separable connect-ion in side elevation; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the'latch device in front elevation; and Fig. 6 is a similar View in side elevation partly in section. I

As illustrated the end of the car is represented at 11, provided with an end face plate 12, between which and the diaphragm face plate 13 the expansible accordion plaited diaphragm 14: is mounted. Each leg of .the diaphragm is provided with separable portions. The separation may be arranged for between the diaphragm and its face plate 13, orbetween two adjacent plaits of the diaphragm, or between the diaphragm and the car end face plate 12. As chosen for purposes of illustration the separable connection is between the car face plate and the diaphragm and is efi'ected by hinging at 15 the marginal stiffening member'ld of the plait so as .to permit its lower portion to swing upon said hinge in a vertical plane longitudinally of the car.

A separable connection between the diaphragm leg and face plate is effected by mounting upon the face plate 12 one or more transversely apertured keepers 17. .Each keeper is in the form of a stud projecting from the end plate and adapted to; projectthrough an opening formed in the stiflening' member 16. The latter has mounted thereon the aperture of the keeper 17. The two arms 19, 19 of each latch device are enveloped by springs 22, 22 hearing at one end upon the studs 18 and at the other end upon lugs 23, 23 carried by the arms.

To the yoke 20 and preferably in line with the bolt 21 is connected a cord, the term cord being used in a generic sense to include any flexible member such as the chain 2%. Where a plurality of latch devices are employed the said cord is connected to each of them in series so that the actuation of the cord will operate all of the latches in unison. As illustrated the cord extends around the pulley 25 mounted on the diaphragm reinforcement l6 and thence longitudinally of the car in a general horizontal direction to a connection at 26 with the diaphragm face plate 13.

Normally the bolt 21 of each latch device is held in engagement with its keeper 17 by means of the springs 22 but when the diaphragm is expanded beyond its normal limits by the tilting of the face plate 13 a pull is exerted upon the cord 24 and thereby the bolts are in unison withdrawn from their keepers so as to release the latch and permit the lower portion of the diaphragm leg to leave the face plate 12 and swing forwardly in a vertical plane upon the hinge 15. The extent to which the several bolts 21 enter the apertures of the keepers 17 is so proportioned that the latches are released simultaneously and the face plate allowed to tilt without any possibility of tearing or otherwise injuring the plaits of the diaphragm.

I claim:

1. A car vestibule construction including face plates and an expansible diaphragm connected thereto and bridging the space therebetween, the legs of said vestibule construction including separable portions, a latch device for holding together the separable portions, and latch-operating means connected to the latch and to a movable portion of the diaphragm and arranged to release the latch when the diaphragm is expanded beyond its normal limits, substantially as described.

2. A car vestibule construction including face plates and an expansible diaphragm connected thereto and bridging the space therebetween, the legs of said vestibule construction including separable portions, a latch for holding together the separable portions, and latch-operating means connected to the latch and to one of the face plates and arranged to release the latch when the diaphragm is expanded beyond its normal limits, substantially as described.

3. A car vestibule construction including face plates and an expansible diaphragm connected thereto and bridging the space therebetween, the legs of said vestibule construction including separable portions, a latch device for holding together the separable portions, and latch-operating means comprising cord connected to the latch and to one of the face plates and arranged to re release the latch when the face plate is tilted, substantially as described.

4. A car vestibule construction including face plates and an expansible diaphragm connected thereto and bridging the space therebetween, the legs of said vestibule construction including separable portions, a latch device for holding together the separable portions, said latch device comprising a keeper mounted upon one of the adjacent portions and a bolt mounted on another and engaging within the keeper, and latch-opcrating means connected to the bolt and to a movable portion of the diaphragm and arranged to withdraw the bolt when the diaphragm is expanded beyond its normal limits, substantially as described.

5. A car vestibule construction including face plates and an expansible diaphragm connected thereto and bridging the space therebetween, the legs of said vestibule construction including separable portions, a latch device for holding together the separable portions, said latch device comprising a keeper mounted upon one of the adjacent portions and a bolt mounted on another and engaging within the keeper, and latch-operating means connected to the bolt and to one of the face plates and arranged to withdraw the bolt when the face plate is tilted, substantially as described.

6. A car vestibule construction including face plates and an expansible diaphragm connected thereto and bridging the space therebetween, the legs of said vestibule construction including separable portions, alatch device for holding together the separable portions, said latch device comprising a keeper mounted upon one of the adjacent portions and a bolt mounted on another and engaging within the keeper, and latch-operating means comprising a cord connected to the bolt and to a movable portion of the diaphragm and arranged to withdraw the bolt when the diaphragm is expanded beyond its normal limits, substantially as described.

7. A car vestibule construction including face plates and an expansible diaphragm connected thereto and bridging the space therebetween, the legs of said vestibule construction including separable portions, a latch device for holding together the separable portions, said latch device comprising a keeper mounted upon a face plate and a spring pressed bolt mounted upon the edge of the diaphragm adjacent thereto and en gaging within the keeper, and latclroperating means connected to the latch and to the other face plate and arranged to release the latch upon the separation of the face plates beyond predetermined limits, substantially as described.

8. A car vestibule construction including face plates and an expansible diaphragm connected thereto and bridging the space therebetween, the legs of said vestibule construction including separable portions, a latch device for holding together the separable portions, said latch device comprising a keeper mounted upon a face plate and a spring pressed bolt mounted upon the edge of the diaphragm adjacent thereto and engaging within the keeper, and latch-operating means comprising a cord connected to the bolt and to the other face plate and arranged to Withdraw the bolt and release the latch upon the separation of the face plates beyond predetermined limits, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDWARD E. WHITMORE.

Witnesses:

R. S. REYNOLDS, GEO. REIDENBACH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

